Reluctance
by AzaleaFaye
Summary: AU: Modern Day Japan. An outspoken but gifted artist. A quiet but sharp detective. Can they successfully work together in solving a murder case, despite unspoken attraction and growing sexual tension? Mimato. Slight Taiora.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters you recognize.

Summary: An outspoken but gifted artist; a quiet but sharp detective. Can they successfully work together in solving a murder case, despite unspoken attraction and growing sexual tension?

**A/N**: Rewritten and reposted. The original first chapter lacked direction and showed no promise. Hopefully, the new chapter is much improved. So please enjoy.

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**Reluctance**

_by AzaleaFaye_

Chapter One: A Night of Unending Questions

A chilled, stunned atmosphere clouded the skies that evening, the air pierced by the charged cacophony of faint sirens, loud camera shutters, and buzzing conversations. An interesting group of people was congregated at Tokyo University that evening: outside the campus, police officers clad in their familiar blue attempted to subdue a small crowd of civilian on-lookers, as reporters in elegant designer suits covered the goings on; while inside the campus, more policemen looked for clues and evidence, scanning the expansive area.

Amidst the throng of people stood two detectives—both dressed in seemingly identical white collared shirts, black slacks, and thin black ties—stoically watching as a gurney carrying a black body bag passed in front of them.

"Hey Kamiya," began the taller of the two, idly running a hand through his bleach-blond hair. "Who put in the call?"

"One of the university custodians," replied Taichi Kamiya, nodding towards an ashen-faced elderly man being questioned by a fellow detective. "He said he was just going about his usual routine, checking each of the art classrooms and whatnot. He noticed that one of the doors was opened, got suspicious, looked in, and found the body…old man made the call at around 8:15 P.M. Now, here we are with another murder case"

"The third in three weeks."

"Yeah…the third in three weeks" Kamiya repeated, shaking his head in disbelief as he pinched the bridge of his nose in slight frustration. "What the hell is going on, Matt? Do you think these murders are somehow connected?"

"I wouldn't rule that out," the blond answered, looking at his partner with stone-faced seriousness. "The first two victims were both Art students here at Todai…I wouldn't be surprised if this girl is too."

"Yamato-san, Taichi-san"

The pair turned around to face a man in his late 40's who clearly had just arrived at the scene.

"Gennai-san," the young men nodded, giving the older, gray-haired man a brief bow.

"Oy Chief, I told you to call me Tai…" Kamiya said with a boyish grin; and with a quick look at his partner, he added, "and good old Mister Stoic here likes to be called Matt."

"Where's the body?" the old man asked, glancing at the blood-stained ground ten feet in front of them, and clearly ignoring the younger man's comment.

"It's been removed," Matt replied. "Civilians were trying to catch a glimpse of the scene. And of course, the media was having a feeding frenzy, trying to get a shot of the corpse."

"And God knows, we don't want that right now…" Tai added with a roll of his eyes. "Better to have viewers at home see a body bag than a bloody murder scene."

"Damn media," the older man muttered, nodding in agreement. He turned to face the detective Ishida. "I'm assuming you've identified the body, but haven't released a name to the press?"

"Yes, the victim's personal belongings were strewn next to the body," Ishida confirmed with a curt nod. "Her name will be released once immediate family has been contacted and have confirmed the woman's identity."

"Good."

"Also, Gennai-san, a purse not belonging to the victim was found within proximity of the crime scene. I think it—"

A loud, ringing noise coming from within his trouser pocket interrupted detective Ishida. With knitted brows, he excused himself from the other two men and answered the call.

"What do you think, Chief?" Tai inquired, staring blankly at the crime scene. Running a hand through his dark-brown hair he added, "There's gotta be a connection between the three murders…"

Before the chief could reply, Ishida came running back to the two men, a look of mixed urgency and excitement etched on his striking, handsome face.

"Gennai-san, I'm sorry but…Tai…we have to go," Matt said calmly.

"What? Why?"

"I'll explain on the way…but we need to go. Now."

Without another question, Tai followed his friend and partner out of the scrutinizing gaze of their police chief. Upon reaching their automobile, Tai glanced at his partner and asked, "What the hell is going on, Matt?"

Cryptically, Matt replied, "We have a witness." And without another word, he hopped inside the car, leaving his partner stunned.

----..--..----

Sora Takenouchi gathered her flaxen hair into a loose ponytail as she walked through the doors of the Tokyo Police Precinct. A weary sigh escaped her lips as the uninviting noise of ringing telephones, cursing (not to mention drunk) convicted criminals, and yelling officers enveloped and welcomed her for the night.

"Any news on the Todai killing?" the blonde officer asked, moving behind the large front desk situated directly in front of the main building entrance. Accepting a mug of coffee thrust her way, she added, "Any leads?"

"None yet," replied a stout man in his mid-30's. "Ishida and Kamiya are already at the scene. And I'm sure the Chief is already there as well…I heard this one's bloody—not like the first two, yah know?"

"Bloody?" Sora inquired, taking a sip of her coffee and inwardly cringing at the bitter yet welcomed taste. Before any of her colleagues could answer, however, the front doors flew open.

As if materializing from thin air, a woman with light brown hair stumbled into the building, her face framed by wisps of hair loose from a once meticulously pinned chignon. Dirt and smeared makeup streaked her pale, porcelain cheeks, and her expensive designer clothes were tattered and torn in places. Despite such a haggard appearance, the woman nonetheless gave off an air of dignity and class.

"Help!"

Without a second thought, officer Takenouchi ran towards the woman, unceremoniously handing her cup to an unsuspecting drunk man who watched the scene, mouth agape in bewildered interest.

"Murder!"

"Murder!" Sora echoed, surprised by the intensity of the woman's chocolate orbs.

"At Tokyo University!"

"Ma'am, we have already been informed of the Todai murder. A team has been dispatched to the scene and—"

"No—you don't understand!" the woman interjected with a frantic cry, tears welling in her eyes, face scrunched in a mixture of frustration and despair.

"Ma'am, please calm down—" said Sora, taking hold of the woman's arms.

"There was blood on the ground," the brunette began in intermittent sobs. Her eyes searched Sora with fearful veracity, as though waiting for the blonde to respond to her frenzied statement. With a whimper, she added quietly, "I saw him."

"You saw him?" officer Takenouchi asked, eyes widening at her small revelation. "Saw who?"

"Him!" the woman screamed, looking at the flaxen-haired officer with unwavering eyes, unaware of the attention she attracted from police officers and civilians alike. A sob once again escaped her delicate lips as she murmured, "He was standing over her…Emi-chan…"

As the woman continued her silent wailing, her head buried on the slightly apprehensive blonde's shoulder, Sora looked at her colleagues in shock. _Is she trying to tell me that—_But before she could ponder any further thought, the brunette suddenly grabbed her shoulder fiercely and, with renewed fear, gave Sora a look of pure dread.

"He saw me…he came after me…he…"

Comprehension washed over the blonde officer like a heavy tidal wave. Unknowingly, Sora tightened her hold on the woman and, silently and resolutely, turned to her colleagues, who all wore the same stoic mask of understanding.

"Someone get Ishida—NOW!"

…_**to be continued.**_

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Japan Speak: 

-san: suffix equivalent to Mr. or Ms.

-chan: suffix that often denotes friendly familiarity, usually used towards girls.

Todai: A commonly used name for Tokyo University/The University of Tokyo.

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**A/N**: So there's the first chapter. I originally wrote this story for my friend. And, seeing as the original version was untouched for two years, I finally decided to dust off the keyboard and write. So yes, this is for you Annie! As of yet, character pairings are still being debated. Although, I can guarantee that it's probably what most of you are guessing. Only time will tell, I suppose…Just watch for sexual tension and chemistry as the plot moves along. I'm pretty sure the summary already gives you guys a clue...With that said, I have one last thing to add: 

Please Review. I would very much appreciate any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism from readers.My rate of updating tends to be directly proportional to the amount of reviews a chapter receives. Hence, more reviews results in faster chapter updates. Oh, and of course, flames will be ignored—unless I read them while I'm in a bad mood.

Thank you for reading! Have a nice day!

_AzaleaFaye_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters you recognize belong to someone else…

Summary: An outspoken but gifted artist; a quiet but sharp detective. Can they successfully work together in solving a murder case, despite unspoken attraction and growing sexual tension?

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

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**Reluctance**

_by AzaleaFaye Chapter_

Chapter Two: Introductions

The patient but slightly strained silence within the small, rectangular observation room was palpable. Chief Gennai and officer Takenouchi—the old man mildly indifferent and the young woman mildly incredulous—watched the scene unfolding behind the one-way mirror: detective Ishida was sitting across from a now calmer, more subdued brunette, a fierce and challenging and demanding look etched on his face, ice-blue eyes unblinking, figuratively boring a hole on the woman sitting in front of him.

"Is he getting anywhere?"

The chief and the blonde officer turned to Taichi Kamiya as he entered the room, the door closing shut behind him with a faint click.

"He's been in there for fifteen minutes," Sora replied as Tai came to stand next to her. With a scoff she added, "She hasn't said a word to any of his questions…just been quiet and giving Matt obviously pissed off looks."

"Heh…I think you calmed her down a little too well," Kamiya said, nudging the blonde playfully as he watched Ishida get up from his seat in the brightly lit interrogation room. Noting the murderous glare the brunette sent his partner's way, Taichi wryly observed, "She looks ready to beat the shit out of him."

Earning no response from either of his colleagues, Tai focused his attention on the scene ahead, watching as Matt braced himself on the table, asking the still unresponsive brunette (who by now had her arms crossed stubbornly on her chest) seemingly soundless questions. She remained thin-lipped in response. An amused scoff escaped Tai's lips as Yamato, looking thoroughly put off, turned his back on the woman and stalked out of the interrogation room.

"I don't think she likes you very much," Kamiya greeted with a boyish grin.

"Does it really matter?" Matt asked, blue eyes impassive. He heaved a sharp sigh and planted his sight on the brunette. "I don't need her to like me; I just want her to cooperate."

The four police officers watched in silence as the brunette sat in the interrogation room, arms still crossed on her chest and chin slightly raised in pride, mumbling mildly. A scoff escaped Ishida's lips as he watched thebrown-haired womangive them a mocking wave behind the one-way mirror.

"Pompous, spoiled little bit—"

"Takenouchi," the chief said, interrupting Ishida's comment. "Why don't you go in there and try coaxing any information out of her?" He turned to the blond detective, eyes warming as he added with slight amusement, "I think our detective-in-charge needs to cool off for a second."

Sora gave a nod and exited the room with an apologetic "Sumimasen, Tachikawa-san" directed at the brunette.

Tai gave out a suppressed chuckle.

Yamato Ishida scowled.

---……---……---

Mimi Tachikawa rarely ever projects annoyance towards another person. Indeed, she is known both by friends and acquaintances alike to be a kind, energetic, and bubbly woman.

But as they say, there's a first time for everything.

And so, silently fuming, the brunette stared at the bleached-blond man standing in front of her, wishing that the table on which he braced himself would unexpectedly collapse and prompt the unbearably rude man to fall to the floor. _And maybe he'll hit his head on something and knock himself out_, Mimi sardonically thought, the corners of her lips slightly curving in a quick, barely noticeable sneer.

A few charged seconds of silence passed, unblinking brown orbs locked onto steady ice-blue eyes.

Mimi watched as the blond detective turned his back on her with an irritated huff, leaving the room without a backward glance. A small smile, victorious and relieved, made its way onto her lips.

She sighed as the door clicked to a close.

Weary and tired as she was, Mimi knew that she could have mustered whatever energy she had left to be cooperative with the authorities. And truth be told, she was more than happy to do so, given the events of the past few hours. But as luck would have it, the man assigned to wean out any information she so willingly would have given was nothing but intimidating and rude. Attractive though he was with his perfectly gelled hair and his piercing blue eyes, the detective projected a pompous, holier-than-thou attitude that elicited Mimi's currently dissipating annoyance.

With a small huff, the brunette turned her gaze towards the one-way mirror, inwardly rolling her eyes as she tried to make out the silhouette of the officers possibly conversing behind the glass barrier, likely voicing out their opinions on her uncooperative attitude and giving her exasperated glares. Unable to distinguish even a faint outline, Mimi contented herself by gingerly waving at the unseen crowd with a taunting smile and sending a silent but not-so-friendly comment towards the blue-eyed detective,

_Jerk!_

With a sneer and a slight tilt of her chin, Mimi turned her attention away from the mirror and blankly stared at the off-white walls, unconsciously fiddling with her well-manicured nails, the wordless, mantra-like humming of bright fluorescent lights calming her nerves. Her lids becoming heavy with exhaustion, Mimi closed her eyes with a heavy sigh and remembered choice words from her father: _You are a Tachikawa, Mimi-chan…you must always be aware of how you present yourself in front of other people. _

Mimi scoffed.

No doubt that if her father were alive today, he would be repulsed by the disgraceful way in which Mimi burst through the precinct doors, frantic and afraid. Unwittingly, she cringed. Emi-chan sprawled on the ground, eyes frozen in shock; the piercing scream coming out of her mouth; the sudden narrowing of clouded, dark eyes; the echoing sound of heels against asphalt; the suffocating sight of the Harajuku district blurring as she ran past—memories that Mimi knew would forever haunt her and visit her in nightmares to come.

A sudden click of the door being opened broke the brunette's unwelcome reminiscence.

"Sumimasen, Tachikawa-san"

Relief flooded Mimi as she opened her eyes to the sight of Officer Takenouchi bowing in apology. Mimi greeted the blonde with a smile.

"Iie, Takenouchi-san. I don't see what your apology is for."

Mimi watched as the woman took a seat across from her. Compared to the brute from minutes ago, Sora Takenouchi was calmer and obviously friendlier.

"Ano…Ishida-san was a little bit forceful earlier, and I noticed you seemed a little uncomfortable," Sora began, slight shame clouding her features. "He gets a little intense sometimes when it comes to interrogations, so please forgive him."

"I'll forgive him once he apologizes to me personally," Mimi replied coolly.

Sora gave a nervous laugh.

"Tachikawa-san, we would really appreciate your helpin this case," Sora said, shifting gears, giving Mimi a pleading look.

"I am more than happy to help," Mimi responded with a slight smile. In an undertone she added, "as long as I don't have to deal with that idiot blond…"

The female detective across from her nodded mutely.

Straightening herself in her seat, Mimi looked at the blonde in anticipation, preparing herself for what could possibly be the most emotion-charged minutes of her life.

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_(An hour later…)_

Yamato Ishida stared intently at the brunette sitting behind the glass barrier, drinking gingerly from a disposable cup. Shamed though he was, and a littleannoyed at himself,for failing to obtain information from the woman, Matt was nonetheless relieved when the witness finally chose to cooperate. He can tell that, judging from her hunched form and her hooded eyes, the hour-long interrogation took a lot out of Mimi Tachikawa.

Anyone living in or around Tokyo—or for that matter, anyone living in Japan—was familiar with the Tachikawa family. Toshizo Tachikawa, shipping magnate and patron of the arts, was a respected man in Tokyo's social circle. He was kind, approachable, giving: a true philanthropist to the tee, classy and elegant.

Taking in the woman's appearance, Yamato unwittingly acknowledged that despite her slightly disheveled hair and her mildly sullied clothes, Mimi Tachikawa still radiated poise, refinement, and importance. _Obviously, she got that from her father_, detective Ishida thought, a corner of his mouth tugging up to a smile. He trailed his ice-blue gaze to her gentle and soft hands, up her slender and toned arms, finally resting on her flawless and heart-shaped face. She was attractive, no doubt about it. And if detective Ishida were willing to admit it to himself, he found her appealing the moment he stepped inside the room.

_I wonder where she got the bitchiness from though..._

Moving to crack his neck, his eyes still on the girl, Matt suddenly blanched when tired brown orbs caught and held his gaze: Mimi Tachikawa was staring at him, chocolate eyes seemingly penetrating through the one-way mirror, locking him in a silent, unblinking match.

"She never looked back once she started running. And somehow, she lost him."

"It's possible that the suspect simply gave up and stopped chasing—after all, he was wearing a mask, right? Tachikawa-san probably didn't even see his face…"

The voice of his colleagues nudging him back to the present, Matt finally blinked and wrenched his eyes away from the brunette. Sora and Tai were both looking into space, as though waiting for someone in the room to speak; Chief Gennai remained wordless, eyes watching the younger officers standing in front of him.

"She's a key witness then," Matt finally said, breaking the silence in a hushed yet resonant voice. His colleagues nodded mutely.

"We _will _consider her a key witness," Chief Gennai began, brow slightly furrowed and aging eyes turning unwaveringly towards the brown-haired woman. Thin-lipped, he turned to detective Ishida and continued, "As such, her safety is our main concern. I spoke to headquarters about Tachikawa-san before we began the questioning earlier this evening. They agreed with my decision to assign officers for her protection."

"Sir, before you say anything, I—"

"Ishida," Chief Gennai said, cutting off the younger man with a light smile. "I am aware that the Metropolitan Police Department cannot afford to expend its resources; after all, this isn't the only crime that needs solving. But, as it is now common practice for the keishicho to implement personal protection to crime victims, I doubt any of you three can argue against the decision."

The three nodded mutely.

"Takenouchi, Kamiya," the elder man called, turning to face the said detectives. "I am aware of your assistance in this investigation; however, allow me to add more to your duties: the two of you will be placed in charge of patrolling Tachikawa-san's home."

"Yes sir," Sora said as Tai quietly but resolutely nodded.

"And Ishida," Gennai continued, his face emotionless. "You will provide Tachikawa-san with personal protection. As I am sure you're aware, this involves constant surveillance and constant open communication between officer and crime victim." Noting the sudden narrowing of blue eyes, the chief continued with a sudden softness in his voice, "I know you got off on the wrong foot…but as you are both adults, I'm sure you'll work it out. Besides, it's not as if you can say no to my orders…"

Yamato said nothing, instead growling softly and further narrowing his eyes. The chief let out a mirthful chuckle as he moved to leave the room.

"You know, Ishida, contact with other members of the human race besides your colleagues from the Metropolitan Police can really help you thaw a little," commented the old man off-handedly as he exited the room.

Staring impassively at the now closed door, Yamato turned to look at his friends. Sora was eyeing him with slight apprehension, presumably waiting for an outburst. Tai, in contrast, had his usual lazy, boyish grin plastered on his face, eyes mildly taunting his friend.

As a police officer, he had no choice but to follow his superior's orders—no matter how much he disagreed with it. Truth be told, it wasn't the actual task of playing bodyguard to the victim that Yamato had compunctions about; it was the woman whom he was assigned to protect that made him disagree with the task. The chief was right: they did get off on the wrong foot. It was clear from the get go that Mimi Tachikawa disliked him. He was good with confrontations, yes; it came with the job, after all. But confronting a criminal is different than dealing with a woman who wants nothing to do with you.

Sighing, the blond officer chose to drop his thoughts and turned to other occupants of the room.

"Alright…" Matt said, his voice cutting the mild tension in the atmosphere like a knife. "I should speak to her about this."

"Matt…maybe I should tell her," Sora hesitantly volunteered, biting the bottom of her lips in slight apprehension.

"The last time I checked Takenouchi, I was in charge of this investigation."

"I know that. But…" the blonde began. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she continued, "I don't think she wants to see you right now."

Detective Ishida remained silent.

"Ishida…you weren't exactly a gentleman during your fifteen-minute interrogation," Tai supplied, waiting for his partner to react.

"It was an interrogation—not a goddamn date!" Matt spat out, right arm flailing towards the one-way mirror and lazily pointing at the brunette. "If she actually cooperated instead of acting like a haughty, spoiled princess, then maybe things would have gone smoother! It wasn't my fault—it was hers!"

Neither Tai nor Sora spoke, both directing their gazes at anywhere in the room other than their colleague's piercing stare.

"Fine!" detective Ishida said in reluctant defeat. "Sora, you tell her about the chief's orders. And make sure you underline the fact that she has _no choice but to cooperate_. Especially with _this_ idiot blond!"

And without waiting for a response, the frustrated detective stalked out of the room, glaring at his friends. But before the door fully closed, Sora's voice rang clear through the air.

"What's up with him? He's more on edge than usual…"

"Knowing Matt, he's probably just attracted to her."

Before he could stop himself, Yamato Ishida narrowed his eyes and growled.

…**to be continued.**

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Japan Speak: 

_Sumimasen_: one of many forms of the word sorry.

_Iie_: one of many form of the word no. Iya is more formal (I think)

_Ano_…: roughly equivalent to "umm…"

Metropolitan Police Department/_Keishicho_: the police force for the Tokyo metropolitan area

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**A/N**: Alright, I've finally finished the second chapter. I apologize for the delay. I wasn't sure how I wanted to write this chapter so I kept revising the content. Thank you to those who reviewed—I really appreciate it. **MiaKamiya**, **xxxnewmikexxx**, **bubbles05** and **Nyx: goddess of darkness**: thanks! I really hope this will turn out to be a good/great (or atleast, decent) story. **Leonblade**: I am really going to try to keep them in character as much as possible. As you can see from this chapter, I'm also trying to dive into their thoughts and their past—hopefully I do a reasonable job as the story goes along. **Reh**: wow…you flatter me, haha. It's too early to say that I'm good, but I really appreciate that…hopefully I can continue churning out interesting chapters. Funnily enough, I'm still debating who the murderer is…I have an idea, but it's not definite yet. So stay tuned, ok? **Pink-writer**: thanks! I tend to be descriptive sometimes…some people think that's bad, some people think that's good; glad to see that you're okay with my wordiness, haha. 

Note that if you want me to update faster, I need more reviews (hint hint…tee-hee). Not to be a stickler, but I'll update once I get a double-digit number of reviews on this chapter. Otherwise, I'm gonna take my time again with the next chapter.

Anyway, again, please review and provide constructive criticism, as any suggestions are welcomed and embraced! Flames will be ignored, unless I'm in a bad mood when I read them; in that case, I'll say something about it.

Thanks for reading! Have a nice day!

_AzaleaFaye_


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